The Minister for Justice has been urged to clarify the legal stance on selling non-alcoholic beers to minors in pubs, reports RTE.
Alan Kelly, Labour’s Justice Spokesperson, said he brought the matter to Jim O’Callaghan’s attention after hearing from a pub employee who felt compelled to monitor what customers, including children, were consuming.
He said: “It is very concerning that this situation arises – where it is technically possible for children to be given non-alcoholic beer by adults purchasing it for them in pubs. I was contacted by a worker in a busy pub about a specific incident where a group of parents were buying 0% alcohol for children. He asked me was he right to refuse them? I felt in the spirit of the licensing laws he was. Previously though it has happened he said in other premises,” reports RTE.
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According to Mr Kelly, pub staff are also finding it difficult to distinguish between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages since they often look the same.
“That is completely unacceptable and places an unfair burden on workers. It could also affect the licencee of the premises if children accidentally or deliberately drank an alcoholic version of the drink that looks identical to the 0.0% version of the drink,” he added, reports RTE.
The Labour TD acknowledged the matter may fall outside legislative control but urged Minister O’Callaghan to offer legal clarity regarding whether 0% alcohol drinks can be served to minors in licensed establishments.
He said: “The responsibility to fix this lies squarely with the Minister for Justice. He needs to give clarity. It may not be even something that can be legislated for. We need to take the pressure off pub staff and ensure that the law is clear and enforceable,” reports RTE.
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